John Carpenter

For most of his life, John Carpenter had been directing films. Surrounded by artistic influences ever since he was young - his father was an accomplished violinist and his mother routinely took him to...
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Dave Davies keen to clear up John Carpenter's comments about his son

By:
WENN.com
Jan 27, 2015

The Kinks star Dave Davies has taken aim at filmmaker/composer John Carpenter for suggesting he raised the rocker's son in a new magazine interview. Davies took offence to a piece in Billboard, published on Monday (26Jan15), in which Carpenter referred to collaborator Daniel Davies as "my godson, the kid that I raised", and insisted the magazine editors run an online explanation.
The Kinks star even offered up a statement he suggested publication bosses should run, insisting the man behind cult movies like The Fog, Halloween and Escape From New York had exaggerated his role in his son's upbringing.
Davies states, "To clarify, John Carpenter helped to raise my son Daniel Davies during a difficult period in Daniel's adolescence. John and I were close friends who lived near each other in Hollywood... After my bust up with Daniel's mother I moved out and, as we were close friends and as I had made him Daniel's godfather, it was decided that my adolescent son would move in with John while things were sorted out.
"I feel as though it is an exaggeration for John Carpenter to say he raised my son when really he just stepped in to help during a difficult period. He did not know my son during Daniel's early childhood years and I don't want to come off in the press as someone who neglected a son of mine.
"Whereas Daniel and John happily maintain a healthy bond, Daniel and I have always had a strong father and son relationship and bond as well. John has been a good friend of mine but I would regret if people came away from your article with a misunderstanding of my character and of past events."

Veteran moviemaker John Carpenter is putting his famous musical talents to use by releasing his first ever non-soundtrack album. The director, whose creepy, self-penned theme tune for his 1978 slasher movie Halloween became an iconic horror movie soundtrack, has put together a disc of original music with his 30-year-old son Cody.
They began the project for fun but Carpenter later decided to put the best cuts together as a record, and the album - titled Lost Themes - is due for release next month (Feb14).
He tells Uncut magazine, "A couple of years ago, my son Cody would come over to my house and we'd play video games. Then we'd go downstairs to my Logic Pro computer set-up and we'd improvise some music. That kept going. Suddenly, we realised we had about 60 minutes' worth of music done."

Sons Of Anarchy star Charlie Hunnam and Downton Abbey actor Dan Stevens have reportedly emerged as the frontrunners to take on the lead role in a long-delayed remake of John Carpenter's sci-fi classic Escape From New York. The Walking Dead's Jon Bernthal is also said to be in consideration to tackle the part of anti-hero Snake Plissken, the character made famous by Kurt Russell in the 1981 original, according to Starlog.com.
Jeremy Renner and British movie tough guys Tom Hardy and Jason Statham were all previously linked to the reboot, which has been in the works since 2010.
Producers at Silver Pictures have yet to secure a director to take on the job, although Breck Eisner, Len Wiseman and Brett Ratner have all been attached to the project in recent years.

Warner Bros. Pictures
Are monster movies making a comeback? With the latest reboot of Godzilla hitting theaters, and the box office success of Pacific Rim and Clash of the Titans remakes, it seems Hollywood is not only enamored with superheroes who protect cities but with the monsters who want to destroy them. Creature features have been popular since the cult horror films of the '30s, to the Japanese monster or "kaiju" movies of the '50s and the campy onslaught of the '80s. Some have achieved classic status while hundreds of others are laughably bad. In honor of monsters stomping across the big screen again, here are some our favorite freaks.
Godzilla (1954, 1998, 2014)
A product of the nuclear age, Godzilla has wreaked havoc for over six decades, with countless spinoff cartoons, films and toys, but has retained his appetite for destruction. Though the special effects have evolved – from a Japanese man in a rubber suit to animatronic baby lizards in Roland Emmerich’s disposable 1998 reboot – the only thing we fear in this latest rebirth of the kaiju craze is another Led Zeppelin cover by Puff Daddy.
Cloverfield (2008)
In the same way that Godzilla played upon the fears of post-Hiroshima Japan, Cloverfield is truly a creature of post-9/11 anxiety. Having deciding that America needed a metropolis-stomping monster of its own, J.J Abrams teamed up with director Matt Reeves to concoct this found-footage tale of terror. While the jerky cinematography can be straining after an hour, the monster was sufficiently terrifying and the film made us weary of the subway for quite some time.
Pacific Rim (2013)
Don't write off this epic blockbuster as a Transformers lookalike, Pacific Rim manages to serve up a double-dose of giant monsters and equally giant robots to wage battle against them. The influence of Godzilla is apparent throughout the film and director Guillermo del Toro even dedicated the film to the late Ishiro Honda, who directed the original Godzilla. If stylized mayhem is your cup of tea, you'll want seconds with this special-effects masterpiece.
The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
Cabin in the Woods is like a bloody, tongue-in-cheek love letter to every horror movie trope there is, from one of the most beloved nerd auteurs. Joss Whedon flips the script and still manages to scare the crap out of audiences. With cameos galore, a whole fun house of diabolical creatures and twists upon twists, it became a cult classic upon release. Let’s just say we'll think twice about heading to that cabin upstate.
The Host (2006)
One of the most original movie monsters of the early aughts hails from South Korea, from the talented director, Bong Joon-ho. After tainting the Han River with dangerous chemicals, a mysterious creature emerges and attacks the citizens of Seoul. After the creature takes a little girl hostage, it forces her family to take matters into their own hands and take on the monster themselves. One part family drama and one part CGI monster masterpiece, The Host carved out a special place in the hearts of monster-movie lovers everywhere. Some might also recognize the film's heroine Doona Bae from the recent film, Cloud Atlas.
King Kong (1933)
As the forefather of the monster-movie genre, the original King Kong created the blueprint that many other thrillers – be it aliens or dinosaurs – would follow. The not-so-gentle giant created by special effects pioneer Willis H. O'Brien was a monster with heart – even when he was scaling the Empire State Building. Not many films feature a misunderstood monster, but King Kong was an ape of a different color. Peter Jackson's 2005 version did the original justice, but the 1993 classic is a must-see primer for any creature feature fan.
Alien (1979)
A monster movie is only as great as the scare factor of its monsters. A slow reveal is essential, but after you're faced with the beast, it must be compelling enough to terrify us all the way through. Compared to the torture-porn of today's horror, Alien can be considered high art. This space-set operatic tale embedded a nightmare we're still trying to shake off. With Alien, Ridley Scott proved he could create a blockbuster and one of cinema's most butt-kicking heroines in the form of Ripley – immortalized by Sigourney Weaver.
The Thing (1982)
John Carpenter is no Hitchcock, but he certainly knows how to titillate and gross out his audiences simultaneously. Carpenter's remake of Howard Hawks' tense '50s sci-fi thriller The Thing from Another World may lack the subtlety of the original, but it manages to capture the isolation and paranoia that takes over the skeleton crew of an Arctic research station. For monster enthusiasts, there's plenty to geek out over with these shape-shifting alien parasites. Inside of tying up the film with an obvious good-guys-win or everyone-dies conclusion, Carpenter opts for an intelligent ending that's open for interpretation.
The Mist (2007)
The beauty in this post-apocalyptic tale is the slow, steady build of unavoidable terror. It is this type of film where folks are holed up in a grocery store, mall, or (insert consumerist symbol here) and turn 0n each other while facing a greater foe, that makes us imagine backup plans when the world goes to pot. Based on the Stephen King novella, the film boasts an impressive billing for a horror film that includes Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, and Andre Braugher. Director Frank Darabont shifts the focus to the human protagonists rather than the CGI monsters and was even responsible for uncredited rewrite on the Godzilla 2014 script, which is telling if you've seen both films.
Tremors (1990)
When it comes to taking down giant sand worms, look no further than the dynamic duo of Kevin Bacon and country star Reba McEntire who makes paranoid survivalists seem utterly charming. While the film marked McEntire's acting debut, it was rare for a film star such as Bacon to star in a seemingly B-movie horror flick. But the sharp performances, cheeky dialogue and truly terrifying monsters made the film more than just a midnight movie romp... and it led to four more films!
Clash of the Titans (1981)
Release the Kraken! This epic fantasy tale of Greek mythology is a childhood favorite for many and set the bar for innovative special effects before the dawn of CGI. It featured brave heroes, beautiful heroines, stop-motion artistry and Hollywood heavyweights like Laurence Olivier who brought some gravitas to the film – making a piece of cinematic history whose remakes garnered a new generation of fans.
Gremlins (1984)
A lot of questionable films passed for children's entertainment in the '80s and Gremlins was definitely one of them. Sure, you had your adorable fluffy creatures begging for toy spin-offs, but whatever you do, don't get them wet! While the film had all the trappings of a B-movie, it was also a commentary on all our favorite movie myths – monsters, the holidays, and folklore. Those creatures may have kept us up at night during slumber parties, but they're delightfully campy to watch as an adult.
Predator (1987)
Aliens, terrorists, and fiscal policy – none of these stand a chance against The Arnold. Sure, the Predator closely resembles John Travolta in Battlefield Earth, but at the time it would inspire fear looking back at you on the video store shelf. As one of the many blast-'em-up blockbuster films of the '80s, it's got the advantages of a great monster, an exotic location, and slick action sequences.
Trollhunter (2010)
The found-footage setup lends itself perfectly to monster movies because of the chaotic feeling it creates with camerawork. In the same vein as Blair Witch Project, Trollhunter features plenty of blurry night-vision footage as a group of filmmakers stumble around the snowy Norwegian countryside looking for trolls. The CGI trolls are impressive and there's plenty of hilarious hijinks to be had when you're out hunting for such creatures.
Monsters (2010)
The sub-genre of indie monster movies is a small one, but British director Gareth Edwards proves you can still terrify audiences on a shoestring budget and rely on a human-driven drama rather than special effects to scare. The special effects artist-turned-director was one of the main reasons we were excited for the latest Godzilla effort. With his directorial debut, Monsters, Edwards knows a thing or two about building up a reveal in this futuristic tale of galactic beings trapped between borders who may or may not be real antagonists this scenario.
Pitch Black (2000)
Vin Diesel is no Laurence Olivier, but the role of Riddick was tailor-made for him. After a plane carrying a dangerous convict crash-lands on an alien planet, the last thing the crew has to worry about is their dangerous cargo. While one could argue the humans are the real villains of the piece, Diesel created the ultimate anti-hero in Riddick that launched a franchise. After night descends, that's when the real fun begins.
The Descent (2005)
Forget sawing your arm off in 127 Hours, the real danger of being trapped in a cave system is the band of flesh-eating humanoids that lurk below. The name of the this film should really be Claustrophobia, because that's all you'll feel for the first hour as a team of female spelunkers descends into its doom. A true creature feature can only succeed if it spends as much time on the set-up as it does on the payoff.
Jeepers Creepers (2001)
Before he was the Mac guy and Mr. Drew Barrymore, Justin Long was just the unsuspecting prey to a flesh-flaying creature in Anytown, U.S.A. While most monster movies are about the big reveal, this one actually gets less scary when the mystery monster finally shows up. Long's cocky skepticism eventually bites him in the ass (and perhaps everywhere else) but damn if that song won't ever leave your head and send chills down your spine thereafter.
Deep Blue Sea (1999)
Shark movies should be considered their own genre altogether. If Jaws is on one side of the spectrum and Sharknado is on the other, Deep Blue Sea would land somewhere right in the middle. The premise is almost laughable. Most medical studies and drugs have their side effects, but super-smart, genetically engineered Mako sharks is usually not one of them. The idea of the monsters seeking revenge is great and the escape scenes in the film are not without merit – plus there are some comedic moments that keep it from taking itself too seriously
Mimic (1997)
Throughout the mid-to-late '90s, you couldn't pass a video store aisle (remember those?) without an endless amount of monstrous horror movie titles jumping out at you. Amidst the leprechauns, anacondas, and Ernest Scared Stupids was Guillermo del Toro's insect thriller Mimic. As the director's ambitious English-language debut, it had all the elements of a great monster flick: a scientific experiment gone awry, a noir setting, and a clever creature. While it can veer into B-movie territory at times, del Toro's daft directing keeps you on your toes even 'til the end.

Disney Channel
On Tuesday, the Disney Channel released the opening theme song and accompanying video for its upcoming Boy Meets World spin-off series Girl Meets World. At the behest of her editor, Hollywood.com writer Julia Emmanuele watched the video one hundred times in a row, recording her thoughts after each viewing. Experience the phenomenon below.
Viewing # 1:
This sounds nothing like the old Boy Meets World theme songs did. I wish it sounded more like that.
Viewing # 2:
It’s definitely very “Disney Channel,” with the pop song and the CGI graphics. I’ll give them that.
Viewing # 3:
Is… is that a ukulele? Is there a ukulele in this?
Viewing # 4:
There’s a lot of weird arm-dancing in this.
Viewing # 5:
That’s the cleanest subway station I have ever seen. There’s no way that’s really New York.
Viewing # 6:
They actually carried over the whole paper airplane thing from the original credits. That’s a nice touch.
Viewing # 7:
Rowan Blanchard looks nothing like Danielle Fishel and Ben Savage, but she does strangely look a lot like Sabrina Carpenter.
Viewing # 8:
Who dresses these children? These are the weirdest outfit combinations I’ve ever seen. I mean, a red plaid skirt over yellow leggings?
Viewing # 9:
This boy looks way too old to be the main character’s love interest.
Viewing # 10:
Topanga had better hair than this dude. If you’re gonna be the Topanga of this show, you’re gonna need to step up your hair game.
Viewing # 11:
See, look at Topanga’s old hair. Way better.
Viewing # 12:
Remember when Topanga was a weird hippie with a sister named Nebula? Good times.
Viewing # 13:
This younger brother seems very melodramatic. That’ll get old quick.
Viewing # 14:
Is she pouring paint on her own head?
Viewing # 15:
You know, the more I listen to this song, the more I like it. It’s pretty catchy.
Viewing # 16:
There are a lot of weird parallel shots between Riley/New Shawn and Cory and Topanga.
Viewing # 17:
The love interest’s face looks like it’s been airbrushed. It has a weird, glowing quality to it like someone put an Instagram filter over his title card.
Viewing # 18:
This theme song sounds like a Kidz Bop cover of The Lumineers.
Viewing # 19:
I feel like it’s only a matter of time before Disney Channel capitalizes on the whole “folk-revival” bandwagon and we get a bunch of tween Mumford and Sons groups. This will be the first single.
Viewing # 20:
The little brother reminds me of Lindsay, but the first version. The one who went into her room and never came back down. [Editor's note: She means Morgan, but you can't really fault her for mixing up names at this point.]
Viewing # 21:
I will never get this song out of my head. I will die with this song still stuck in my head.
Viewing # 22:
The only time Ben and Rowan look alike is when she’s in the blue dress in his classroom. She still looks nothing like Danielle.
Viewing # 23:
Rowan does a lot of that hand-to-head swooning movement. I hope that’s not like a thing her character does.
Viewing # 24:
There are a lot of strange facial expressions in this.
Viewing # 25:
I feel like I’m going to end up downloading the full version of this song. I will tell nobody.
Viewing # 26:
Is the guy just wearing a cardigan without a shirt underneath? Who does that? Riley, you can do better.
Viewing # 27:
Who let a horse in the school? Even when it got ridiculous, Boy Meets World still kept the animals outside. [Editor's note: Actually, in Season 3, Episode 6 of Boy Meets World, Shawn brought his pet pig Little Cory to John Adams High School.]
Viewing # 28:
Never mind, Riley’s wearing suspenders and shorts. She and Cardigan deserve each other.
Viewing # 29:
Danielle Fishel looks the same as she did when the show went off the air. She’s gorgeous.
Viewing # 30:
I like her oddly delayed reaction when Riley’s screaming. Quality acting.
Viewing # 31:
Is the younger brother putting on a play in the living room? With professional lighting? What the hell?
Viewing # 32:
Every time Ben savage pops through that door, all I hear is him screaming “Topanga!”
Viewing # 33:
I’m starting to hit a turning point with this song.
Viewing # 34:
That weird chanting bit at the end is starting to grate on me.
Viewing # 35:
Does she have Britney inflections now? Have I just not noticed them until now?
Viewing # 36:
Everything’s starting to look a little bit stupider now.
Viewing # 37:
Why does New Shawn have a top hat? Original Shawn would never.
Viewing # 38:
I miss Shawn. This show needs Shawn.
Viewing # 39:
New Shawn is getting awfully close to Cardigan at the end of this. That’s not going to end well.
Viewing # 40:
The little brother already annoys me. Although, everything’s starting to annoy me at this point.
Viewing # 41:
I appreciate them keeping the globe and paper plane motif, but the crappy CGI Chrysler building takes a lot away from the aesthetic.
Viewing # 42:
They put like, no effort into CGI Times Square.
Viewing # 43:
You know what? I take back what I said about this song. This song is terrible.
Viewing # 44:
Not a single person on this show is a decent dancer.
Viewing # 45:
I like the weird computer theme song better than this. [Editor's note: She's referring to the theme song from the first season of Boy Meets World.]
Viewing # 46:
The younger brother has an absurd number of layers on. Who dresses these children? [Editor's note: You said that already.]
Viewing # 47:
Has Cory always been this much of an idiot? Or are they dumbing him down for this show?
Viewing # 48:
This song makes me want to punch something.
Viewing # 49:
Did they just re-use the set from iCarly for this? Because I’m pretty sure those are the same apartment doors.
Viewing # 50:
Why do these two only have their faces covered in paint? Did they just stick their faces in the paint? Is everyone an idiot?
Viewing # 51:
I feel like the Britney inflections are becoming more and more pronounced. Who says “cray-zay?”
Viewing # 52:
This whole title sequence is really stupid.
Viewing # 53:
Those stupid bunny slippers are stupid.
Viewing # 54:
Cory’s weird hand moments at the dinner table are stupid.
Viewing # 55:
The fact that Cory has a Bob Dylan lyric written on his blackboard is stupid. Cory never would have listened to Dylan.
Viewing # 56:
Topanga’s old ‘90s choker is stupid.
Viewing # 57:
The little brother putting his face in his breakfast is stupid. You’re gonna make a mess, little brother, and then someone’s gonna have to clean up after you. Just be courteous and put your eha don’t he table. [Editor's note: Um... what?]
Viewing # 58:
Why are you putting your head in the bowl in the first place? You’re like 9. How stressful could your life possibly be?
Viewing # 59:
I feel like Riley and New Shawn at the end, when they’re on the conveyor belt.
Viewing # 60:
Are we supposed to believe their hair just naturally ended up like that? That hair is painstakingly styled.
Viewing # 61:
I no longer remember a time in my life before I heard this song.
Viewing # 62:
I no longer remember other songs.
Viewing # 63:
That weird dance Danielle Fishel does is amking me irrationally angry.
Viewing # 64:
This is making me hate the city of New York as a whole.
Viewing # 65:
Why does Cardigan have so many sweaters and coats? How cold is it in that school?
Viewing # 66:
You know, you wouldn’t need a sweater if you actually wore a shirt under your cardigan like a normal person.
Viewing # 67:
This is making me hate everyone involved in it.
Viewing # 68:
This is making me retroactively hate Boy Meets World.
Viewing # 69:
None of those fake New York landmarks are anywhere near each other in real life. Who researched this?
Viewing # 70:
You know, I’m starting to understand why the little brother is faceplanting into his bowl.
Viewing # 71:
I like how they tried to wedge a globe into every scene set at school. It’s an apporiate homage to the original.
Viewing # 72:
Either that or the production designer got paid by the globe.
Viewing # 73:
Feeney never had this many globes. Cory, what would Feeny do?
Viewing # 74:
I miss Mr. Feeny.
Viewing # 75:
I miss Eric.
Viewing # 76:
I miss everyone but Cory and Topanga. They’re the reason I have to keep watching this. They’re dead to me now.
Viewing # 77:
The lyrics to this song are dumb. I mean, “Stuck by lightning/my heart’s beating like a drum?” Come on.
Viewing # 78:
I feel like being struck by lightning would result in your heart stopping, not beating faster.
Viewing # 79:
Although, in retrospect, they’re probably better than “Wandering down this road that we call life/wondering what we’re doing.”
Viewing # 80:
Actually, you know what? I think I’m starting to come around to this song again.
Viewing # 81:
Why is New Shawn playing softball in a subway station? Why did it take me this long to notice?
Viewing # 82:
Why are they just crouching in the hallway? You’re in a school, there are chairs everywhere. Go find one.
Viewing # 83:
Do you think New Shawn’s sparkly jacket comes in adult sizes?
Viewing # 84:
I feel like the whole Cory/Riley hand-on-chin bit is supposed to be endearing, but it’s just coming off as trite.
Viewing # 85:
Is Cardigan just blatantly using his cell phone in class? Why is nobody yelling at him for that?
Viewing # 86:
I’m not even processing the words to this song anymore. It might as well be an instrumental.
Viewing # 87:
I feel like this theme needs more buckets of water being dumped on people’s heads. I volunteer.
Viewing # 88:
The little brother’s dramatic performance just reminds me of Eric’s weird one-man show. I miss Eric.
Viewing # 89:
The guitar at the beginning of this song is so over-processed, it barely even resembles a guitar anymore.
Viewing # 90:
I’m pretty sure I barely resemble a person anymore. I’m a shell of a person.
Viewing # 91:
I regret ever being excited about Girl Meets World in the first place.
Viewing # 92:
That being said, I’m probably going to watch every episode. Cory’s dorkiness is winning me over again.
Viewing # 93:
Or I have some sort of TV-related Stockholm Syndrome. I can’t tell anymore.
Viewing # 94:
Riley has a huge bedroom for an apartment in New York.
Viewing # 95:
Topanga’s ‘90s revival bangs look like someone dropped an animal on her head. I don’t remember her actual ‘90s bangs being that bad.
Viewing # 96:
They didn’t even try to make those trees in “Central Park” look real.
Viewing # 97:
Oh, thank god, I’m almost done.
Viewing # 98:
If I ever hear the phrase “Take on the world” again, I might lose my mind.
Viewing # 99:
I do enjoy how, in the end, every Disney Channel title card looks exactly the same.
Viewing # 100:
It’s not that bad, in the end. I might be on board with it. I’m gonna skip the titles whenever I watch it, though. I’m never listening to them ever again.
Girl Meets World is available on the WATCH Disney Channel streaming service starting tomorrow, and will premiere on actual televisions on June 27 at 9:45 PM, which is insane.

Tribeca Film via Everett Collection
For a film that involves a love triangle, mental illness, a Bohemian colony of free-spirits, an impending war and several important historical figures, the most exciting elements of Summer in February are the stunning shots of the English country and Cornish seaside. The rest of the film never quite lives up to the crashing waves and sun-dappled meadows that are used to bookend the scenes, as the entertaining opening never manages to coalesce into a story that lives up the the cinematography, let alone the lives of the people that inspired it.
Set in an Edwardian artist’s colony in Cornwall, Summer in February tells the story of A.J. Munnings (Dominic Cooper), who went on to become one of the most famous painters of his day and head of the Royal Academy of Art, his best friend, estate agent and part-time soldier Gilbert Evans (Dan Stevens), and the woman whom they both loved, aspiring artist Florence Carter-Wood (Emily Browning). Her marriage to Munnings was an extremely unhappy one, and she attempted suicide on their honeymoon, before killing herself in 1914. According to his journals, Gilbert and Florence were madly in love, although her marriage and his service in the army kept them apart.
When the film begins, Munnings is the center of attention in the Lamorna Artist's Colony, dramatically reciting poetry at parties and charming his way out of his bar tab while everyone around him proclaims him to be a genius. When he’s not drinking or painting, he’s riding horses with Gilbert, who has the relatively thankless task of keeping this group of Bohemians in line. Their idyllic existence is disrupted by the arrival of Florence, who has run away from her overbearing father and the fiancé he had picked out for her in order to become a painter.
Stevens and Browning both start the film solidly, with enough chemistry between them to make their infatuation interesting. He manages to give Gilbert enough dependable charm to win over both Florence and the audience, and she presents Florence as someone with enough spunk and self-possession to go after what she wants. Browning’s scenes with Munnings are equally entertaining in the first third of the film, as she can clearly see straight through all of his bravado and he is intrigued by her and how difficult she is to impress. Unfortunately, while the basis of the love triangle is well-established and entertaining, it takes a sudden turn into nothing with a surprise proposal from Munnings.
Neither the film nor Browning ever make it clear why Florence accepts his proposal, especially when they have both taken great pains to establish that she doesn’t care much for him. But once she does, the films stalls, and both Stevens and Browning spend the rest of the film doing little more than staring moodily and longingly at the people around them. The real-life Florence was plagued by depression and mental instability, but neither the film nor Browning’s performance ever manage to do more than give the subtlest hint at that darkness. On a few occasions, Browning does manage to portray a genuine anguish, but rather than producing any sympathy from the audience, it simply conjures up images of a different film, one that focused more on Florence, and the difficulties of being a woman with a mental illness at a time when both were ignored or misunderstood.
Stevens is fine, and Gilbert starts out with the same kind of good-guy appeal the won the heart of Mary Crawley and Downton Abbey fans the world over. However, once the film stalls, so does his performance, and he quickly drops everything that made the character attractive or interesting in favor of longing looks and long stretches of inactivity. He does portray a convincing amount of adoration for Florence, although that's about the only real emotion that Gilbert expresses for the vast majority of the film, and even during his love scene, he never manages to give him any amount of passion.
Cooper does his best with what he’s given, and tries his hardest to imbue the film with some substance and drama. His Munnings is by turns charming, brash, and brooding, the kind of person who has been told all of their life that they are special, and believes it. He even manages to give the character some depth, and even though he and Browning have very little chemistry, he manages to convey a genuine affection for her. It’s a shame that Munnings becomes such a deeply unlikable character, because Cooper is the only thing giving Summer in February a jolt of life – even if it comes via bursts of thinly-explained hostility. It's hard to watch just how hard he's working to connect with his co-stars and add some excitement to a lifeless script and not wish that he had a better film to show off his talents in.
Unfortunately, by the time Florence and Gilbert are finally spurred into activity, the film has dragged on for so long that you’re no longer invested in the characters, their pain, or their love story, even if you want to be. Which is the real disappointment of Summer in February; underneath the stalled plot and the relatively one-note acting, there are glimmers of a fascinating and compelling story that’s never allowed to come to the forefront.
2/5
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Summit via Everett Collection
You can imagine that Renny Harlin, director and one quadrant of the writing team for The Legend of Hercules, began his pitch as such: We'll start with a war, because lots of these things start with wars. It feels like this was the principal maxim behind a good deal of the creative choices in this latest update of the Ancient Greek myth. There are always horse riding scenes. There are generally arena battles. There are CGI lions, when you can afford 'em. Oh, and you've got to have a romantic couple canoodling at the base of a waterfall. Weaving them all together cohesively would be a waste of time — just let the common threads take form in a remarkably shouldered Kellan Lutz and action sequences that transubstantiate abjectly to and fro slow-motion.
But pervading through Lutz's shirtless smirks and accent continuity that calls envy from Johnny Depp's Alice in Wonderland performance is the obtrusive lack of thought that went into this picture. A proverbial grab bag of "the basics" of the classic epic genre, The Legend of Hercules boasts familiarity over originality. So much so that the filmmakers didn't stop at Hercules mythology... they barely started with it, in fact. There's more Jesus Christ in the character than there is the Ancient Greek demigod, with no lack of Gladiator to keep things moreover relevant. But even more outrageous than the void of imagination in the construct of Hercules' world is its script — a piece so comically dim, thin, and idiotic that you will laugh. So we can't exactly say this is a totally joyless time at the movies.
Summit via Everett Collection
Surrounding Hercules, a character whose arc takes him from being a nice enough strong dude to a nice enough strong dude who kills people and finally owns up to his fate — "Okay, fine, yes, I guess I'm a god" — are a legion of characters whose makeup and motivations are instituted in their opening scenes and never change thereafter. His de facto stepdad, the teeth-baring King Amphitryon (Scott Adkins), despises the boy for being a living tribute to his supernatural cuckolding; his half-brother Iphicles (Liam Garrigan) is the archetypical scheming, neutered, jealous brother figure right down to the facial scar. The dialogue this family of mongoloids tosses around is stunningly brainless, ditto their character beats. Hercules can't understand how a mystical stranger knows his identity, even though he just moments ago exited a packed coliseum chanting his name. Iphicles defies villainy and menace when he threatens his betrothed Hebe (Gaia Weiss), long in love with Hercules, with the terrible fate of "accepting [him] and loving [their] children equally!" And the dad... jeez, that guy must really be proud of his teeth.
With no artistic feat successfully accomplished (or even braved, really) by this movie, we can at the very least call it inoffensive. There is nothing in The Legend of Hercules with which to take issue beyond its dismal intellect, and in a genre especially prone to regressive activity, this is a noteworthy triumph. But you might not have enough energy by the end to award The Legend of Hercules with this superlative. Either because you'll have laughed yourself into a coma at the film's idiocy, or because you'll have lost all strength trying to fend it off.
1/5
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WENN
It's almost Halloween and that means we are in for at least one channel replaying a Halloween movie. If we're lucky, it'll be the John Carpenter version, not the Rob Zombie one. That sad thing is that the the fans destroyed what could have been a good horror franchise: They wanted Michael Myers back despite his becoming a trite bogeyman like Jason Vorhees of Friday the 13th and Freddy Krueger in Nightmare on Elm Street in numerous sequels.
See, originally Carpenter planned to only feature Myers in Halloween 1 and 2 and then being a whole series of Halloweens that would feature a different story, starting with Halloween III: Season of the Witch, but the movie's poor performance and reviews made them decide to bring back Myers, which I thought was a poor idea.
When Halloween first came out, it was one of the first of its kind, with the silent, unstoppable Myers with that eerie white William Shatner mask (seriously, wouldn't you at least think "KHANNNNNN!" right before Myers killed you?) and the eerie soundtrack. When it originally ended (H20) and then was rebooted again by Zombie, it had become a laughingstock. People tended to laugh and hoot at scenes that were supposed to be scary and the fact that nothing short of a nuclear bomb could kill Myers made it farcical. It's a good thing that the Halloween/Friday the 13th crossover never happened, since it would still be going on after 332,402 hours of them taking whacks at each other.
Halloween could have been great if allowed to expand on its original idea after the third movie, but surrendering to the tired slasher trope, no matter what window dressing was applied to the outside, was just lazy. The producers could have pushed past the cookie-cutter mold, but that didn't happen here. Anytime a franchise, no matter how cliche, is sensed as possibly being created, they will run that idea into the ground before the public finally throws up their hands and say, "Enough!" Horror movies are especially guilty of that. I'm looking at you, Saw.
So, when I see the original Carpenter classic, I'll kick back, have a beer and wonder what could have been.
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After Dark Films
It seems a bit odd to take on a movie review of Courtney Solomon's Getaway, as only in the loosest terms is Getaway actually a movie. We begin without questions — other than a vague and frustrating "What the hell is going on?" — and end without answers, watching Ethan Hawke drive his car into things (and people) for the hour and a half in between. We learn very little along the way, probed to engage in the mystery of the journey. But we don't, because there's no reason to.
There's not a single reason to wonder about any of the things that happen to Hawke's former racecar driver/reformed criminal — forced to carry out a series of felonious commands by a mysterious stranger who is holding his wife hostage — because there doesn't seem to be a single ounce of thought poured into him beyond what he see. We learn, via exposition delivered by him to gun-toting computer whiz Selena Gomez, that he "did some bad things" before meeting the love of his life and deciding to put that all behind him. Then, we stop learning. We stop thinking. We start crashing into police cars and Christmas trees and power plants.
Why is Selena Gomez along for the ride? Well, the beginnings of her involvement are defensible: Hawke is carrying out his slew of vehicular crimes in a stolen car. It's her car. And she's on a rampage to get it back. But unaware of what she's getting herself into, Gomez confronts an idling Hawke with a gun, is yanked into the automobile, and forced to sit shotgun while the rest of the driver's "assignments" are carried out. But her willingness to stick by Hawke after hearing his story is ludicrous. Their immediate bickering falls closer to catty sexual tension than it does to genuine derision and fear (you know, the sort of feelings you'd have for someone who held you up or forced you into accessorizing a buffet of life-threatening crimes).
After Dark Films
The "gradual" reversal of their relationship is treated like something we should root for. But with so little meat packed into either character, the interwoven scenes of Hawke and Gomez warming up to each other and becoming a team in the quest to save the former's wife serve more than anything else as a breather from all the grotesque, impatient, deliberately unappealing scenes of city wreckage.
And as far as consolidating the mystery, the film isn't interested in that either, as evidenced by its final moments. Instead of pressing focus on the answers to whatever questions we may have, the movie's ultimate reveal is so weak, unsubstantial, and entirely disconnected to the story entirely, that it seems almost offensive to whatever semblance of a film might exist here to go out on this note. Offensive to the idea of film and story in general, as a matter of fact. But Getaway isn't concerned with these notions. Not with story, character, logic, or humanity. It just wants to show us a bunch of car crashes and explosions. So you'd think it might have at least made those look a little better.
1/5
More Reviews:'The Hunt' Is Frustrating and Fantastic'You're Next' Amuses and Occasionally Scares'Short Term 12' Is Real and Miraculous
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From Our Partners:40 Most Revealing See-Through Red Carpet Looks (Vh1)15 Stars Share Secrets of their Sex Lives (Celebuzz)

Late Night host Jimmy Fallon is the latest to jump on the non-royal baby bandwagon. He and his wife, Nancy Juvonen, welcomed a baby girl, their first child together, early Tuesday morning, E! News confirms.
Baby Fallon arrived at 6:21 a.m. in New York, and her parents "are overjoyed about the arrival of their beautiful daughter." Fallon (as well as most late night hosts) made plenty of jokes about the royal baby Monday night, but he made no mention of his own child.
Following in Kate and William's footsteps, the couple have not announced a name for their daughter yet.
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More:Jimmy Fallon Goes Total Jon Snow In Extensive 'Game of Thrones' ParodyJimmy Fallon and Brad Pitt Are Fluent In YodelCan You See the People Sing? Jimmy Fallon Has a Sexy Lip Sync-Off with John Krasinski

Helmed the ABC biopic "Elvis"; Kurt Russell played the title role in their first collaboration

Emerald Productions published the film fanzine, Fantastic Films Illustrated

Made his last, and reportedly best short, "Gorgon the Space Monster"

Met future collaborator Dan O'Bannon while both were graduate film students at USC

Re-teamed with Kurt Russell for the sequel, "John Carpenter's Escape From L.A."

Produced the big budget remake of his film, The Fog"

Returned to low-budget filmmaking with "Prince of Darkness"

Executive produced and directed two segments of the Showtime anthology, "John Carpenter Presents Body Bags"

Directed the film adaptation of the Stephen King novel, "Christine"

Returned to directing with "The Ward"

Formed own production company Hye Whitebread Productions with wife Barbeau

First substantial film, the 40-minute featurette, "Revenge of the Colossal Beasts"

First major film as director, "Dark Star"; also co-wrote Dan O'Bannon

First mainstream Hollywood film, "Eyes of Laura Mars"

Directed first film he did not write, "The Thing"; again collaborated with Russell

Filmed the 40-minute short, "Warrior and the Demon"; this was Carpenter's first use of stop-motion animation

Wrote, directed and composed the score for his breakthrough film, "Halloween"

Directed the film, "Vampires," starring James Woods as the leader of a band of vampire hunters

TV-movie writing debut, "Zuma Beach" (NBC)

Directed Kurt Russell in "Big Trouble in Little China"

Directed t"Starman," starring Jeff Bridges in his Oscar nominated role

Made debut as an executive producer, "The Philadelphia Experiment"

Once again directed an episode of Showtime's Masters of Horror series, "Pro-Life"

While still a teen, formed own production company, Emerald Productions

Summary

For most of his life, John Carpenter had been directing films. Surrounded by artistic influences ever since he was young - his father was an accomplished violinist and his mother routinely took him to movies - Carpenter naturally made the transition from childhood experimenter, to film student, to finally, professional director. Unexpected, however, was his making one the most important horror films ever in "Halloween" (1978), a chilling tale of a serial killer terrorizing a small town that was shot for a mere $300,000 and became one of the most profitable films of all time. Without stars, special effects or visible gore - there was nary a drop of blood on screen - "Halloween" launched Carpenter's career, while spawning untold numbers of imitators, no less than six direct sequels, and one (awful) remake. Though he went on to direct other seminal films - "Escape from New York" (1981), "Christine" (1983) and "Big Trouble In Little China" (1986) - Carpenter was forever remembered for creating a new horror subgenre - the slasher flick - that has often been imitated, but never duplicated.

produced and co-scripted Carpenter's "Halloween" (1978) and "The Fog" (1980), produced "Escape From New York" (1981), produced and co-scripted "Escape From L.A."; met Carpenter while working as script supervisor on "Assault on Precinct 13" (1976); no longer together